Misfits Invade the UK

Part 1

Stormer: Lady of Scotland?!

By Nick Maro

"Mary," David called to his roommate. "Mail call!" He brought the letter for his half-sister and knocked her bedroom door. "I'm coming in whether you're dressed or not." He opened the door to find Stormer on the phone.

"Okay, Craig, I'll talk to you later. Next time I won't wait so long to call," she told her brother. "Love you too. Bye." She hung up the phone and shot David a glare. "What was so damned important?"

"You've got a letter here from Scotland," he said innocently. He held up the envelope. "Thought you might've wanted it right away."

He handed her the envelope and she looked at it with confusion on her face. The return address got her excited:

Angus McGee

Castle Wallace

Bo'ness, Scotland

"Oh my God, I'd forgotten all about Angus!" She looked up at David's confused face. "It was a few years back. The Misfits and Jem and the Holograms were stranded on a desert island for two days. Anyway, we all joined forces and made our way to the top of this bluff. At the top we found an old shack with a hermit inside. He took a liking to me right away, but after we got rescued we parted ways. I stayed in touch with him for a while but it's been so long, I thought he'd forgotten me."

She opened the envelope her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with her hand. She showed the letter to her half-brother who was quickly becoming one of her closest friends. He looked at her even more confused.

"Open the bloody door! I promise not to kill you!" Jetta yelled while banging on the bedroom door. "Just give me the bloody pictures you took!"

"Hitomi, c'mon, I'm not mad anymore," Roxy pleaded next to Jetta. "I just want to see them." She turned to Jetta and lowered her voice a bit. "How pissed would Mr. Gabor be if we broke down this door?"

"Enough to make David dock our pay and reinstall it ourselves," Jetta said thoughtfully. "I'm willin' to take that risk." She smiled wickedly.

"On three then," Roxy said getting ready to bash the door down with her shoulder. Jetta stood in the same stance. "One. Two. Three!"

The two women rushed the door just as it opened and tackled the blonde Japanese woman coming out, sending the pictures she was carrying flying everywhere. The three women untangled themselves and made a scramble for the scattered photos. Jetta looked at the pictures she was holding. They were blank Polaroids. "Roxy, do yours have anything on them?" she asked slowly, the white-haired bassist shook her head no. "Where are the real ones, luv? We know you have them."

Hitomi reached into her back pocket and pulled out a stack of Polaroids. "Right here but you have to catch me!" She took off running down the hall of the mansion she was staying at with her brother Ken and friend slash band mate Eiji. Jetta and Roxy tried cutting her off by running down the back staircase. Hitomi made it to the backyard where she tripped on the sprinkler head of the underground sprinkler system. She fell and knocked some of the wind out of her lungs. Dazed and gasping for breath she tried to get away.

Jetta yanked the pictures from the disorientated woman's hands. "Victory!" She held up the pictures of herself and Roxy half naked and completely wasted in bed together. It had happened in Tokyo about two weeks ago. Jetta and Roxy had a drinking contest and came back to the hotel drunk. They wound up half passed out in the doorway. Kimber, Stormer and Hitomi helped clean them up after they found them there. Hitomi played a prank on both of them by removing their bras while they slept and took pictures. "Anymore that you're hiding?" She asked the dazed woman.

"No," Hitomi said in defeat while trying to get air back into her lungs. "I was going to give them back. Just having some fun. Help me up, please?"

Roxy grabbed the extended hand and pulled the fallen woman to her feet. "Okay, now we can get to Misfits Music. David wanted to see us, Jetta. Pizzazz is waiting in the van as we speak." Roxy was a bit out of breath from running hard. "Hitomi, David just needs The Misfits. Jetta and I will deal with you later." She walked to the car as Jetta caught up to her.

"Jerrica! Why won't you listen?" Kimber screamed at her older sister.

"Kimber, I just don't see why you want to quit the Holograms," Jerrica said calmly closing the bedroom door. "You have no real reason to."

Kimber sat on her bed looking up at her sister. "There you go again. Quit making choices for me. I'm old enough to do it myself. I'm not a baby anymore. Stop treating me like one."

"I'm not treating you like a baby. I just want you to tell me why," Jerrica explained sitting next to her. "Are you sure that David or The Misfits didn't put idea in your head?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? I want to quit for a short while maybe for a few years." Kimber tried calming down a bit. "I want to explore what I can do outside of the Holograms. Besides, it's not like we're recording or going on tour right now."

"Isn't that what you did with Stormer? Remember how that ended up?" Jerrica reminded the younger Benton.

Kimber shot off the bed. "How dare you bring that up! I know it was a mistake. I was very naïve then. I've grown since then, Jerrica. I may not make all of the right choices in life, but then again, I'm only human and not perfect like you, Jem! Oh wait, you can't decide if you should tell Rio that you're Jem because you're afraid he'll leave you. Well, you grow up! If he can't accept you either way, then who needs him?

"David was scared to tell me he was Pizzazz's brother but he still did it. I didn't run from him. You know what I did, I laughed. I made a joke and laughed. Before you start telling people that they're too immature to do certain things look in the fucking mirror! If you won't let me leave peacefully then I'll just say it. I quit!" Kimber stormed out of her room slamming the door behind her. She ran down the stairs and out the front door slamming that door as well.

A short while later the front door opened, Aja sat next to Kimber on the front step. "I heard everything," was all she said.

"Have you come to condemn me also?" Kimber asked quietly.

"No, I think you're right. However Jerrica is just being a big sister. She's always looked out for you. We all have." Aja put her arm around Kimber's shoulders. "But Jerrica is afraid of losing you. She doesn't want to lose her little sister. To do that she tells you what to do and makes decisions for you. She really doesn't want to see you hurt now that you're all grown up. What you did back there was the right idea, wrong execution. If you're serious about leaving the Holograms then I support you. I know that David or any of The Misfits haven't talked you into doing this. I can tell you made that choice yourself."

Kimber sat there for awhile in disbelief. Someone was finally showing some faith in her decision making. "Aja," Kimber said slowly. "Thank you. You're the first person besides The Misfits or David to see me as an adult."

"I guess I should be more like Aja then," Jerrica said from behind the two women. "I know you are serious about this and that did scare me. Remember, Kim, you're free to come back to the Holograms anytime. Have you decided where to go from here?"

"Yeah," Kimber smiled. "I'm going to paint that damn ceiling." She started laughing at her private joke. Aja and Jerrica gave her a confused look. "Sorry, inside joke that didn't make much sense till now. I'm going to ask David if I could stay there for awhile. Don't worry he has a couch with my name on it." She hugged Jerrica and Aja tightly. "I'm sorry for what I said up there, Jerrica. I love you. And thanks again Aja."

"It's okay. You were right about a lot of things. Maybe you're right about this one too," Jerrica admitted.

Harvey was sitting at the desk in his office when a knock came from his door. David opened the door and stepped inside a bit. "Dad? Could I ask a favor?"

"David, please come in. I wanted to talk to you about Misfits Music's budget," Harvey said putting some reports to the side. "Tell Mary to come in too. I can see her peeking around the door."

Stormer and David entered the office. "Problems with the budget? I told you I'm new at this," David said nervously as he approached the desk.

"Problems? Oh heavens no! For once we're actually making money with Misfits Music." Harvey couldn't hide the look of pride on his face. "Whatever you're doing keep it up. I just wanted to say I'm proud of you. Now what was it that you needed?"

David looked at Stormer and she shrugged. "What I think it is, Dad, we're not trying to make Jem and the Holograms look bad anymore. Anyway I'll let Mary ask the favor. It does concern her."

Stormer handed Harvey the letter. "Mr. Gabor, I got this in the mail today. I just need to know if it's legal."

Putting his reading glasses on as he read the letter. "You can call me Dad or Father, even Harvey. I am after all your biological father. From what I can tell this is legal but I'll get my lawyers on it right away. Let you know in about an hour?"

"Thank you and I just find it too uncomfortable to call you anything more than Mr. Gabor." Stormer gave her biological father a kind smile that reminded him of her mother.

Harvey smiled at the young woman. "That's fine then." David and Stormer left his office. He picked up the phone and called his doctor to confirm his annual check up. Afterwards he called his lawyers.

The phone rang in David's office at Misfits Music where Jetta answered it politely. "Hullo, David Gabor's office. How may I help you?"

"Jetta? It's Kimber. Is David in? I have to ask a huge favor."

"He's not in yet, luv. Pizzazz, Roxy and meself have been waitin' for about a half hour for him. He said somethin' needin' to see us. I have no bloody clue where Clash and Techrat are. Why don' you come here and join us in the waitin'. I'm gettin' tired of lookin' at Roxy anyway." Jetta teased Roxy who just playfully stuck up her middle finger.

"I can't. I'm kinda busy myself," Kimber told the British woman. "Just have him give me a ring, okay?"

"Sure thing, luv. Taa!" Jetta hung up the phone. "Hey Pizzazz, I say we tie David down and make him listen to the Limp Lizards for twelve hours for makin' us wait." The other two Misfits began to chuckle.

David and Stormer walked in the office a few minutes after Kimber's call. "Where's Clash and Techrat? They'll be interested in this news as well."

"Where have you two been?" Pizzazz demanded. "We've been waiting for a half hour!"

David paused while sitting in his office chair. "We had to stop by dad's office first. Sorry that we didn't call." He sank in his chair and looked at the women standing impatiently before him.

"Speakin' of calls, Kimber just called up here. She said it was important," Jetta told David sitting on the edge of his desk.

"I'll call her after what Stormer has to tell you. Take it at face value until dad's attorneys call back." David glanced at Stormer giving her her cue.

Stormer cleared her throat. "I got a letter in the mail today from Angus McGee. Roxy and Pizzazz will remember him, Jetta this was before you joined. Short story, he was a hermit on a desert isle that liked me and it turns out he was loaded in Scotland. Like most people with money he was eccentric. He even owned a castle. From what I understand it was one of the smaller castles that dot the Scottish landscape.

"About two weeks ago Angus died in a car accident. He didn't have any family to leave his castle and money to. I guess he really did love me, but I was named the sole heir." Stormer looked at her friends with a sad look on her face. "I own a castle, guys. We're heading to Scotland. David and I talked about it in the car. He said it would be a good distraction before we start work on our new album. Who knows we may even get inspired there." She smiled at her friends who only looked shocked.

The phone rang, David picked it up quickly. "It's perfectly legal? Okay tell Mr. MacTaggart we'll be out there by Wednesday. Thank you for getting back so quickly, Ms. Daniels." David looked at the women gathered around his desk. "We leave tomorrow afternoon. Anyone have a problem with this?" They all shook their head no. "Great. You guys go find Techrat and Clash; I'm going to talk with Kimber."

David knocked on the door of the Starlight Mansion. The door opened and a little blonde head peeked out. "Oh. Hi, David, c'mon in," greeted Ashley, one of the Starlight Girls.

"Hi, Ashley, Kimber called and said she had something important to ask. Is she in?" David asked the young foster girl.

"Yeah, she's out back saying good bye to everyone," Ashley said leading David to the backyard through the rear sliding door.

"Good bye? What are you talking about?" David asked confused.

Ashley stopped before opening the backdoor. "She hasn't told you yet? You mean you aren't here to pick her up?" She looked up at the now thoroughly confused David. "I'll let her tell you." They went out the sliding glass door to the expansive backyard. Kimber was hugging all of the Starlight Girls. Jem and the rest of the Holograms were by her side. David itched where the arrow had grazed him in Japan. It was nearly fully healed. "Kimber! David is here!" Ashley yelled.

Kimber ran up to David and hugged him. "I have some good news, bad news and a big favor to ask," she said in one breath.

"Okay, what's going on? Why does it look like you're going away?" David asked with confusion in his voice

"Well, because I am. I quit the Holograms and that's the good-bad news. I want to see what I can do on my own but I'm welcome back to the Holograms anytime," Kimber said with a sad smile.

"And the favor?" David asked hesitantly.

Kimber looked at the ground then back up at him with her eyes big, she finally asked him quietly. "Could I possibly move in with you and Mary for a bit? I'll sleep on the couch."

David sighed. "We can talk about it on the plane ride. That is if you want to come with us to Scotland tomorrow. If not you can stay at my place until we return, but you can stay tonight, I'll take the couch."

"Scotland? What's going on there?" It was now her turn to look confused.

"Mary inherited a castle. She can explain it better than I could. I've decided that it might be good for The Misfits to go with her. They might find inspiration there," David explained. "I'll phone Mary and let her know what's going on. Mind if they stop by?"

Kimber thought about it a minute. The Misfits still weren't the most loved group of people at the Starlight House but they were her friends now. "Yeah I'd like that. I want to show everyone how much they've changed." David called Stormer on the kitchen phone.

David climbed the staircase slowly; he stopped as he reached the second floor. The party was starting to wind down. He wanted to get some of Kimber's stuff loaded into his car. Smiling to himself he thought about how well The Misfits were getting along with The Holograms. David put his hand on the door handle and unthinkingly opened the door. "…ow's over, Synergy," he heard Jem say. He saw flashing pink light around Jem appear, when it had faded, Jerrica stood where Jem just had been.

"Ummm, this is Kimber's room right?" David nervously asked Jerrica. Kimber turned and looked at her boyfriend with shock on her face.

Jerrica jumped back in surprised. "David, how long have you been there?" she asked with a mixture of shock and fear on her face.

David entered the room and shut the door. "I heard something about someone named Synergy and Jem turning into you," he admitted. Jerrica started to open her mouth he cut her off. "Don't worry about it. You have your reasons to keep it a secret. All I wanted to do was help get some of Kimber's boxes into my car before we left. Your secret is safe with me, I swear."

Jerrica smiled at David while Kimber ran up to him. She turned to her sister pleading with her eyes. "Please Jerrica you can trust him." She turned back to her boyfriend. "I wanted to tell you, I really did. But I swore to Jerrica I wouldn't. Please don't be upset with me."

"I'm not upset. It just helps things fall into place better with Jem and Jerrica." David was then told the whole story of how Jerrica became Jem and about Synergy. The other Holograms joined midway through the brief story. He felt he'd been accepted by Jerrica and the Holograms into their circle of trust.

The private jet was an hour outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. David checked on the passengers. The trip was longer than he had expected. He noticed that Techrat and Clash were awake and discussing ideas again. He wondered if they ever stopped. Roxy had found them in Techrat's Rat's Lair coming up with new gimmicks a day earlier. He sat back down in his seat. "How much longer?" Kimber asked next to him.

"About an hour, everyone but Techrat and Clash are asleep," he whispered.

"I'm getting more sleep then. G'nite." Kimber rested her head on his shoulder and quickly fell asleep. David closed his eyes and to get some sleep as well.

The hour passed quickly and the plane descended to the landing strip. The pilots opened the door and let the stairs down. Fresh, late morning air breezed into the plane waking the yawning passengers. The eight weary travelers filed out and stepped out on the tarmac. From the looks of the sun it was almost noon. "Welcome to Scotland lads and lassies," a Scottish accented voice greeted them. A middle aged gentleman walked forward. "Now which one of ye is David Gabor?"

"I am. I take it you're Mr. MacTaggart," David said shaking his hand. He introduced everyone and pointed out Stormer last. "And this, sir, is Mary Phillips."

"Pleased to meet ye, Ms. Phillips. Please call me Ian. Mr. MacTaggart or sir makes me feel old," he chuckled. "Now shall we show our new Lady her castle? We can do all of the legal paperwork afterwards."

There were three cars waiting to take the waiting band to Bo'ness. Stormer, Kimber and David rode with Ian who told them stories about Crazy Angus. As it turned out he was well loved in town. He donated to local charities and hosted a carnival each year for the children. They called him Crazy because of his extravagant stories he told at the pubs.

The cars had finally approached the castle. It wasn't much in comparison to other castles but it was huge to the eight people standing before the massive front doors. Ian opened a smaller size door to the right of the main doors. "Those ones there are just for show and take three men each door to move. They're mostly just fer show. I'll show ye to yuir rooms," he said holding the door open for them. He led them down a short hall while promising the grand tour once they were settled in. The hall led to a cross section, straight ahead was a flight of stairs that they climbed. Upon reaching the top Ian showed every one their rooms. He gave Stormer Angus' master bedroom.

"Ian when did you want me to sign the paperwork?" Stormer asked quietly.

"Mary, there's no hurry. Take a few days to explore the castle and get to know the town," he said starting to shut the door. "I'll see ye at dinner."

When Ian had left Stormer looked around the room. This room is bigger than a ballroom! She thought to herself. She smiled sadly when she saw a portrait of Angus hanging over the fireplace. She stood there for awhile staring at it and then went to go find her friends.

After dinner Roxy and Jetta walked into town. Roxy had thrown out a drinking challenge to Jetta, but this time they'd remember who had won. It was only a fifteen minute hike to town from the castle. Once there they went into a pub called Black Ned's. "Lovely name," Jetta mumbled. They entered and found a table in the corner. Jetta ordered as Roxy found the restroom.

" 'Ello, Sheila, luv," said the man sitting in Roxy's place. "Been awhile now. Seen you on the tele. Runnin' with a new crew, are we?"

Jetta sat in shock. She thought she was finally away from them. "Get the fuck outta here, Eddie! I have nothin' to do with the Azure Blades anymore. Stevie can attest ta that. I quit your little group of scum," Jetta snapped at the man.

He laughed. "Stevie is dead. She wouldn't tell me where you two hid the jewels you stole from me. Yet you still wear the Azure Blades mark, don't you?" Instinctively Jetta put her hand over her right breast where the tattoo was located. "I wasn't sure if you did or not. Stupid bitch, you just let me know you still did." A wicked smile spread across his face. "You're coming with me. Tonight. Back to London. You're still an Azure Blade. That means your sorry ass listens to me now."

Jetta spat in his face and sneered. "Fuck off, Eddie! I ain't goin' nowhere with you. Now piss off!"

Eddie wiped the spittle off his face. "Like I said you're a stupid bitch. Who do think killed Crazy Angus?" he said lowering his voice. "I had to get you back here. It took some doin', but I found a way that didn't trace back to me. Also, if you don't come with me, Mumsy and Daddykins will be floatin' in the Thames. Now let's go." He grabbed her arm and yanked her out of her seat.

Jetta saw Roxy making her way back to the booth. "Let me say good bye to me friend first, Eddie."

He thought about it for a moment before letting go of her arm. "Okay but no tricks. Trick me and you get it in the back." He flashed a sinister looking knife subtly. "Try to rabbit and I kill your fuckin' parents." From her past experience with him she knew he meant it.

Jetta ran up to Roxy and pulled her into a scared embrace. "Roxy I have to go. It's been a fun ride. That tattoo I have is called an azure blade. I love you guys. I'll miss you, luv. I mean that. And don't get any stupid ideas like followin' me. The people I was involved with are very dangerous. Here and in London." She kissed Roxy on the cheek then hugged her tightly again. After breaking the embrace she joined Eddie where they quickly went out the door. The shocked and confused Roxy couldn't move.

Roxy paid for a bottle of scotch and left the pub. She opened the bottle, took a deep drink and started walking towards the castle with the feeling of emptiness quickly filling her.

TO BE CONTINUED IN "BANG! YOU'RE DEAD!"

PART 2 OF MISFITS INVADE THE UK